


Paris Never Felt So Euphoric

by t_hens



Series: Paris Never Felt [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dan Howell - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, It is now, M/M, Medium Burn, Phil Lester - Freeform, Rich!Dan, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, architect!Phil, is that a thing?, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-03-17 12:42:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13659207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_hens/pseuds/t_hens
Summary: Dan is a wealthy heir who is bored of the party life in California so he takes a spontaneous trip to Paris where he meets a mysterious architect named Phil. Older, fun, and mature, he is the opposite of everything Dan is used to. Could a stranger and spontaneous trip be exactly what Dan needs?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic so please be gentle. i would love some constructive criticism. please let me know what you think.
> 
> the title is from 'Sniffing Vicodin in Paris' by blackbear, which the fic is *loosely* based off of.
> 
> Edit: I have made a playlist to accompany this fic. the songs have either inspired the story, or when I heard them made me think of the story. please enjoy :)
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/tobielovell/playlist/298Euv62oLMemgtpYdf8iQ?si=Y2qlF1fjTKCJWlxfO7bwQw

The perpetual ringing of his phone is the sound that rips Dan from a fitful sleep. He reaches blindly for it and begins to crack his eyes open. The room is flooded with California sunshine since he had stumbled in the night before and never closed the blinds. He holds his phone close to his face to see who decided to interrupt him at the god-awful time of 10:04 am. His best friend Kari’s name is showing on his caller ID and he reluctantly answers. 

“Hello?” he croaks, his throat sore and hoarse from lack of use. 

“I’m surprised you answered,” Kari’s voice is loud, and he can hear the puffs of steady breaths that indicates she is most likely running. 

“I thought you would be in a mild coma after that 5th drink,” she says.

“I was, I forgot to turn my phone on silent” he whines. He swings his legs over the side of the bed, and notices his shoes are still on, as is his jacket. He can hear Kari laughing over the speaker and winces at the jarring noise. 

“Are you gonna meet me for brunch like we planned?” 

“Uhhhh brunch?” he asks questioningly. 

“Really? You always do this. You make plans when you’re drunk and then I have to drag you out of your house to keep you from looking like a dick. Which you are anyway by the way.” He lets out a dry chuckle at that and makes his way into the kitchen to start coffee. 

“I don’t remember making brunch plans. I would rather drink a pot of coffee and suffer through my hangover in the comfort of my own home.” He begins measuring out coffee grounds and heating the kettle, when he hears a scoff from her side of the line. 

“I’m not letting you out of it this time. I have juicy gossip and I’m starving. So, you’re gonna shower and I will pick you up in an hour.” 

Dan groans and before he can protest again the line is dead and he is stuck with plans he made inebriated, the story of his life. He abandons his quest for coffee and makes his way to the bathroom to shower. He discards his clothes on the tiled floor, knowing he should put them in the hamper in his room; however, his perpetual laziness and the pounding in his head convince him that he doesn’t care enough to move them. He turns the water dial all the way to the left, hoping the scalding water will help ease the body ache of a night of drinking. Unfortunately, can’t spend much time in the shower, knowing it will take longer than necessary to find the right outfit. After he forces himself out of the blissful sanctuary of the shower, he pulls a pair of black skinny jeans from the set of built in drawers in his closet and stands starting at the shirts in his closet contemplating the dozens of black and gray shirts. He hears the sharp blast of Kari’s car horn and grabs the shirt closest to him, a plain gray t-shirt. He scrambles to find his wallet and keys, and shoves on a pair of sunglasses to shield him from the blaring sunlight outside. 

Why he ever decided that California is where he wanted to live always escaped him. He slides into Kari’s navy convertible and lets out a groan at the large Starbucks cup she holds out to him. Her blonde bob is clean and shining and her white sundress looks crisp and well fitted. He couldn’t help feeling a little jealous of how put together she always looks. 

“You’re a lifesaver,” he moans appreciatively into his cup and takes a chug of the scorching liquid. 

“I know,” she says smugly as she navigates out of the stone drive. 

“So how did I get home last night, I don’t remember getting to the house and I woke up with my shoes still on,” he asks. He tentatively takes another drink of his coffee, being sure to sip it this time. Kari lets out a laugh, and Dan can see her eyes roll behind her designer sunglasses. 

“You got an Uber home, everyone was still having dinner and you decided you had to leave right that second and wouldn’t wait for anyone to take you. You must have just passed out when you got home because you never texted me that you got home like you were supposed to.” She gives him a side eye look that makes him feel a little guilty.

“Wow, okay mom,” he laughs. He knows her tendency to mother him and isn’t surprised she is upset that he didn’t text. 

“Is that why you called me at the crack of dawn? To make sure I was still alive?” 

“It was 10am! That is hardly the crack of dawn,” she laughs and begins looking for a place to park.

“So, what is this juicy gossip you have to tell me?” he asks, nudging her to get her attention as they start their trek to the restaurant. 

“Oh, nothing actually, I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to get you out of bed if you weren’t going to get something out of it.” Dan gapes at her, scandalized, though he should have known this would happen. It was a trick she used it often and he really should have seen it coming. They sit at their favorite outdoor table on the terrace and tries pretending to be annoyed but quickly becomes too distracted by the menu and deciding what drink would be the best hangover cure. 

“Speaking of gossip though,” she says eying her menu, “what did you think of Lucas?” 

“Who?” he asks, deciding on a strawberry mimosa, running his hands through his unruly brown hair.

“Really, you don’t remember him. He was literally the whole reason that we went to dinner last night, so that you could meet him.” She stares at him disbelievingly, it’s an expression she wears often during their interactions. 

“Oh, him. He was nice I guess.” Dan moves his attention to the breakfast items on the menu and begins comparing the benefits of eggs and toast vs a fruit platter. 

“Really? Did you even talk to him?” She abandons her menu to frown at him, her manicured eyebrow raised in disapproval.

“I don’t know,” he answers, finally putting his menu down in order to focus more on the conversation. “He was just like every guy around here. A budding model who cares more about how his hair,   
looks, and the amount of calories in his meals than having a real conversation. I don’t think he said one interesting thing all night. All he talked about were the auditions he had been at recently and   
the brand-new head shots he just got. I actually thought he was going to bring them out at one point.” Dan’s voice has raised in pitch, waving his hands wildly.

Kari lets out a snort and Dan cracks a smile. “I guess that’s true. I didn’t talk to him much, Kaylee was so focused on getting everyone’s opinion of her new designer handbag that I didn’t get to interact much with anyone else. I like her, but man she just needs all the attention, all the time. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?” Kari gives Dan a pointed look. Dan rolls his eyes and starts ordering from the waiter that had just came to their table. 

“I don’t know why you are friends with her,” he says as he hands over his menu. 

“I don’t really know either. We grew up together and around here you tend to stick with the people who you know.” Dan gives her a derisive look over his sunglasses. 

“That is some LA bullshit,” he laughs without malice. He does get it, he really does. When his family had become wealthy and he decided he wanted to go to college overseas he had felt lonely, and unsure of the friendships he made, afraid that everyone would just want to be close to him because they knew of his family and their money. It wasn’t until he met Kari at his psychology course that he had made his first real Californian friend. She knew that it was like to only have friends because of her family and they had bonded during a group project and had become best friends. 

“Whatever, you know what I mean” she laughs, throwing a piece of the napkins she had been tearing at, at him. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah I do. She’s just annoying is all.” They both laugh and begin tucking into their just delivered meals. 

“Speaking of Kaylee, she is having another party tonight…” Kari’s voice trails off and avoids looking at Dan. 

“I don’t wanna go” he whines. He sets down his utensils and pauses eating, a sure sign of his distress.

“You always say that, but you always have fun,” she says, giving him that pointed mothering look. He always is reminded that she knows him better than he gives her credit for.

“Only because I get wasted out of my mind, so I don’t have to listen to every single person there talk about their auditions and how they ‘think they have a real shot’” he snorts. Kari giggles but points   
her fork at him threateningly. 

“You have to go with me, that cute girl from USC is gonna be there and I want your opinion on her.” She says this with a steady voice, but a blush stains her cheeks.

“Is she the one that is studying journalism?” Dan asks mentally shifting through all the college girls Kari had been crushing on lately. 

“No, that was the one from UCLA. She had a boyfriend and was trying to use me as her ‘college experimental phase’.” Kari rolls her eyes and Dan laughs. 

“This is the only reason you are friends with me is so that I can give you my opinions on girls. I’m bisexual you know, maybe I’ll try and steal your girl.” Kari snorts and Dan feigns hurt. 

“You think I couldn’t steal your girl?” he asks, raising his hand to his heart as if he has been truly offended. 

“For one, you wouldn’t do that to me, you are too good of a person, despite what you want everyone to think.” Dan starts to interrupt her, blush creeping up his neck at the compliment. Kari pushes through.

“For two, you don’t like the type of girls that I usually hang out with. We both know tan, blonde, and femme isn’t really your type. I’ve only seen you hit on like 12 girls since we became friends, what 4 years ago? And all of them were tall, with dark hair and a bit androgynous. You have type, and it’s the opposite of mine. So, no, I’m not too worried.” She turns her attention back to her food and Dan caves. She’s right, Kari tended to go for short blondes who wore edgy clothing and had perfect makeup. He used to pick on her for only dating girls who looked like her until she pointed out he does the same thing. 

“Fine, I’ll go and meet your new crush, but you owe me.” Kari gives him a grateful smile and steals a piece of his fruit from his plate.

*************************************************************************************

The party is loud, and everyone is already tipsy when he and Kari arrive. She chose a skin tight black dress with geometric cutouts in various risqué places, her blonde hair put up in a half messy bun. Dan had agonized over his outfit for two hours before deciding on his go to outfit of ripped black jeans and his favorite Givenchy black button-down shirt. Everyone joked about how the two always looked like a power couple when they went to parties, always dressing similar, though it was usually unplanned. 

Kari makes her way straight to the bar when they arrive, dragging Dan behind her. “Are you nervous?” he asks, ordering a vodka soda from the hired bartender. Kari takes a long sip from the Cosmo she’s just been handed and nods. 

“She’s like, super smart. And she’s funny and really cute,” she said taking another pull from her drink. Dan laughs and pats her shoulder. 

“I’m sure she likes you too. You are smart and funny and beautiful. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.” Dan takes his drink from the bartender and gives him a coy smile. The bartender blushes, pink lighting his dark skin. Dan turns his attention back to Kari, walking outside to the pool area where she arranged to meet up with her new prospect. Dan gives another smile to the bartender, looking over his shoulder as he walks away. ‘He’s cute,” Dan thinks, making a mental note to go back and flirt later. It had been a while since he had slept with anyone and he felt in the mood tonight. 

Kari’s crush Alex sips her drink and talks with their friend Corey as they approach. Kari introduces them, and the mutual infatuation is immensely obvious; Alex leaning into Kari and laughing at all of her terrible attempts at jokes. The party grows bigger throughout the night and Dan, Kari and Alex meander around, doing their best to socialize with everyone. After a few hours Dan makes his way over the bar to give Kari and Alex some alone time. He smiles at the bartender, leaning in enticingly and orders another drink. The bartender smiles back and hands Dan the drink. Instead of finding his friends, he leans in and starts a conversation. He says his name is Joseph and he is a budding actor. Dan almost rolls his eyes when he hears this but instead flutters his dark lashes and asks him when he was finished working if he wants to join him at home. His idea is met with enthusiasm and two hours later they are back in Dan’s house, Dan being pressed into the mattress. Dan feels no remorse kicking Joseph out of the house later, not being one for sleepovers. He also genuinely worried that if the man stays he would talk more about the hemorrhoid commercial he auditioned for.

*************************************************************************************

Dan’s felt like a routine and he couldn’t help feeling incessantly bored with his day to day. Parties, brunches, talking to people he had nothing in common with. His parents often complained that he was doing nothing with his fancy psychology degree, just spending their money living in California. He couldn’t argue with this after all, it was completely true. He was stuck in a rut and didn’t know how to get out. He unloaded his feelings on Kari as they laid around in his living room.

“I’m so bored. I’m sick of all the parties and the fake people and just ughhh,” he says stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. 

“Why don’t you take a trip then?” Her eyes are directed at the TV screen, the Disney movie they agreed on keeping her attention more than their conversation. 

“Wha uh yohh meam?” he asks, his mouth still full of popcorn.

“Come again?” Kari says, still barely paying attention. Dan swallows his mouthful and tries again.

“What do you mean a trip? Like going to the beach?” He already feels exhausted by the idea, too many people and too much outdoors for his taste.

“Like a little holiday, you could go to Paris for a week or something. Fashion week is next week. You could go to that and then visit your family, I know you would love that.” Her attention finally centered on Dan instead of the TV.

“I would love that,” he mulls. It had been a long time since he had seen his parents and even longer than he had seen his grandparents. 

“It’s my grandma’s birthday next week, I could leave Sunday and a few days going to fashion week and then be there to surprise her at the party my family always throws her.” Dan smiles at Kari and she returns the smile and turns back to the movie, Moana’s adventure much more interesting than Dan apparently. She hands him his laptop, and he begins looking up flights, feeling his first spark of excitement in months.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone who has left comments and/or kudos you are the best! even if you just read the story, you are also the best!   
> I'm sorry the updates aren't very frequent, my boring adult life keeps me very busy.
> 
> I am also on tumblr @tobieallison if you want to talk to me there too :)

Dan sat in the first-class lounge in the airport and waited for his flight to Paris to board. Kari had been right about going to Paris to begin his holiday. Other than his hometown, Paris was his favorite city in the world. His family would often go there on their holidays, spending weeks at a time in the luxurious city exploring. Getting to go during Fashion Week was just a bonus, although he had majored in psychology, he had minored in fashion (much to his parent’s distaste). He loved clothes and always made sure to keep up with trends. He shuffled through his travel playlist on Spotify and stuffed his headphones in as they start boarding the flight. His seat was spacious and comfortable, accommodating his giant 6-foot-tall body, something he was sure would not be the case if he was flying coach. He saw the flight filling up quickly and hoped the seat next to him would remain empty, but as soon as the thought entered his head someone approached it. 

The man taking the seat looked like he was probably around the same height as Dan, maybe within an inch or two, but at least 4 or 5 years older. He was in a crisp, pressed navy suit with a maroon tie. His straight black hair styled into a quiff and classy black glasses perched on his nose. Everything about him made Dan feel grungy in his sweatpants and hoodie. He pressed a hand furiously to his head, trying to get his unruly curls to lie somewhat flat. When the man sat down Dan shifted nervously in his seat, the man smiled as he placed his briefcase under his seat. Dan kept his headphones in and pulled up an app at random in order to keep from making eye contact with the attractive stranger.

When the flight took off they both accepted the champagne the stewardess offered, Dan blushing when the man made eye contact with him. He had very blue eyes and Dan caught himself staring momentarily, flushing brighter when the man caught him and smiled. He quickly looked out the window, wishing he could hurl himself out of it. He always managed to get himself into situations like this. He could charm the pants off almost anyone after a few drinks but put him on a plane next to an attractive stranger and of course he would do something awkward like gape at them. Dan chugged his champagne, closed his eyes and prayed for a quick flight.

When Dan woke up the captain was advising that they were getting ready to land. Dan hastily buckled his seatbelt and braved a glance over at his neighbor. Thankfully he too had succumbed to sleep during the flight but had left his seatbelt on so Dan didn’t feel guilty about not waking him for the descent. He snuck a glance at the sleeping stranger. His quiff was starting to fall in his face and his glasses were slipping down his nose. Dan felt his fingers twitch in his lap, itching to push them back into place but he resisted. That certainly wasn’t appropriate behavior. You couldn’t just go around touching peoples faces just because you sat by them on a plane, even if they had smiled at you and they were very attractive and had pretty blue eyes and – Dan stopped himself. He focused on gathering his backpack, so he could leave the plane as fast as he possibly could; just in case his neighbor did wake up and could somehow telepathically read all of Dan’s thoughts about touching his hair and glasses. Luckily, the man slept through the descent. Dan shimmied his way past him and practically ran to the gate, ready to put the awkward encounter and plane ride behind him and start his holiday.

When Dan got outside the terminal he hailed a taxi and gave the address to the hotel he had booked. He could already feel the jet lag pulling at every fiber of his being, but he knew he had to fight it. It was just shy of noon in Paris and he had far too many plans to let another nap throw them off. Dan paid the driver and checked into his room. He had just set his things down and was considering the pros and cons of flinging himself onto the bed when there was a sharp knock on the door. Dan answered and was immediately tackled by a pair of long arms and a mop of blond hair. Dan panicked for a moment before realizing it was one of his best friends from Paris, Christopher. He let out a loud laugh and pushed Christopher off him and pulled him into a proper hug once he was upright.

“How did you know I was already here?” Dan asked, taking a seat on his bed.

“I had Kari text me your flight details and just waited for you to arrive,” Christopher said, his thick Scottish accent was hard to decipher at times, but since their families had been going on holidays together since Dan’s family had came into wealth when he was around 10, he had grown used to only being able to really understand what he was saying about 80% of the time.

“So, you’re saying you stalked me?” Dan laughed again as Christopher threw a decorative pillow at him from the chair he was sitting in.

“No, you ass. I was trying to keep you from sleeping away the day. We need to get going, if we are going to get to the event. Jacquemus’ show is tonight, and then there is an after party at Le Baron.” 

 

The club was crowded. Dan felt bodies pressed against all sides of him, dancing to the thrumming techno music and he absolutely loved it. European clubs were so much better than the clubs in LA. No one was trying to impress a casting director, or the newest rich snob on the block. People just listened to the music and danced, letting the music move them; although if the smell in the air, or the white residue in the bathroom was any indication, it wasn’t the only thing moving them. Dan glanced around from his spot on the dance floor and made sure he could still see Christopher in the booth they had snagged when they had arrived. He was supposed to be dancing with Dan, but one of the tall red headed models from the show had caught his eye and he was too busy making a move on them to dance. 

Dan made his way towards the bar to get a new drink, pressing up against the sleek black glass top, looking left and right for the bartender. He jumped when he heard the man next to him say something. He glanced to the right at the voice and his eyes widened.

“Oh God, it’s you!” Dan groaned. It was the man from the plane. The cute guy with the pretty eyes who Dan stared at and had secret hair/face touching thoughts about. It would be his luck that he would run into him right now. The man spluttered the sip of the drink he was taking, Dan was about to apologize after belatedly realizing that he had been incredibly rude, when he realized the man was laughing.

“That’s not usually the reaction I get from people when I tell them the bartender went to the restroom.” The man wiped away a stray tear that was beginning to leak out of his eye and took another sip of his drink. He was wearing another suit, dark grey this time, but his tie was missing and the top few buttons were undone. The effect was very nice, Dan’s eyes catching on the smattering of chest hairs. 

“Oh, no – I – it – we – the plane. We sat together on the plane, I stared at you. I – fuck –“ Dan was a deep shade of maroon now, wondering if it was possible to melt into the floor and disappear. 

“If we’re being honest here, I stared too, but I think I was being more subtle about it.” Dan gaped at him, unsure if he had heard him correctly, now blushing for a completely different reason. 

“You should sit down, I think the bartender might take a while.” The man smiled at Dan and took another sip of his drink and Dan took the seat next to him, a little dazedly. Why was this attractive stranger talking to him and did he really stare at him on the plane too? Or was Dan just going crazy and misheard him?

“I’m Phil by the way,” he said extending his hand. Dan shook it tentatively before realizing he hadn’t replied.

“Oh – uh – Dan,” he stuttered. God. Why couldn’t he get his act together. He was never like this this.

“So, what’s a Brit like you doing flying from California to Paris?” Phil turned towards Dan, giving him his full attention. 

“I could ask you the same.” Dan said, smiling shyly to let him know that he intended to answer, just not first. Phil smiled and sipped his drink again.

“I’m an architect and the firm I work for is trying to land some international clients. We’re located in London but we’re having a big conference in Paris this week. If you’ll look around you’ll see several of my colleagues scattered around, trying to get laid.” He let out a small chuckle and winked subtly. Dan glanced around and surely enough there were about a dozen men between their 30’s and 60’s scattered around, either sitting together or talking to one of the models from tonight’s show. 

“Your turn now,” Phil said, smiling.

“I was born in England, but I went to university in California. I’m just here for Fashion Week,” he replied smiling back. He noticed the bartender reappear out of the corner of his eye but made no move to order a drink.

“Oh, what company are you with?” he asked. Dan looked blankly at him for a moment before realizing what he meant.

“Wha – me?” He glanced down at his black skinny jeans and his white Alexander McQueen jumper disbelievingly. “Oh, no. I’m not a model. I’m just here to watch.” Dan was blushing furiously now. How could anyone mistake him for a model? 

“Oh, well I’m sure you could be if you really wanted to.” Phil was staring intently at him now, his blue eyes bright, even under the low club lights. Dan ducked his head but smiled. He couldn’t believe he felt so shy; normally he was the one who was shamelessly flirting, yet here he was getting a schoolboy crush and letting it show all over his face like a neon sign.

“Well thank you,” he said finally making eye contact. Phil smiled and looked as though he was about to say something else, when one of the men that Phil had pointed out earlier approached them and started speaking to Phil in rapid fire French. Dan looked away, to not intrude on the conversation, even though he couldn’t speak French other than the handful of words he remembered from school. Phil said something back to the man and then tentatively pressed a hand to Dan’s arm. Dan looked towards Phil and his companion questioningly. 

“I have to go, one of our meetings got rescheduled for the morning instead of the afternoon” Phil looked apologetic, as if it was his fault and he had just ruined Dan’s whole night.

“Okay” Dan said, feeling though Phil had more to say.

“Do you think I could have your number?” Phil asked. Dan smiled, cheeks dusted pink. 

“Yeah, let me see your phone.” Dan entered his number quickly, handed the phone back to Phil. As he and his colleague stood to leave, Phil gave him one more smile and exited the club. Dan stood smiling at the bar, his quest for a drink temporarily forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "it needs a little editing, buts it's a good story. I'm into it." - my wife (aka the only review you'll ever need)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a month without uploading and she comes back with....whatever this is ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I'm sorry its been so long. I've been busy with family stuff and work, and just having a really terrible brain that just doesn't work sometimes. I'm trying to write more when I have free time though, so hopefully things will start progressing again. I swear I didn't forget about it!
> 
> as always you can find me on tumblr @tobieallison.   
> ps a big thanks to the sweet anon who helped spur me into writing this chapter, without you who knows when this would have happened.

Dan scrolled through his phone while he waited for the next show to begin. He had already checked his twitter feed twice and his Instagram, while full of beautiful people and clothes, was just not holding his attention. His fingers twitched towards his messaging app but he stopped himself before he could open it. He knew there were no new messages waiting for him there, despite how often he had checked that day. 

When he had given his number to Phil last night he had thought he would maybe get a text that night, or possibly one in the morning. But the only texts he had received had been from Christopher complaining about his hangover and one from Kari checking up on him. Something in the back of his head told him that he shouldn’t be surprised, that some random guy in a bar asking for his number didn’t equate to that person actually texting or calling him, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit stung. He thought they had a connection, or at the very least a mutual attraction, but maybe he was wrong. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and tried to ignore his hurt feelings as the lights dimmed and the next show started again.

Christopher managed to stumble in part way through the third show, hair still wet from the shower, dark sunglasses shielding his blood shot eyes from the dim stage lights. Dan snorted at his disheveled state and patted the seat next to him; which Christopher fell dramatically in to.

“So, how was your night?” Dan asked, trying to keep from laughing. Christopher didn’t answer just lowered his sunglasses dramatically and glared. Dan snorted and directed his attention back to the stage. As the show continued Dan felt his phone vibrate, signaling a call. He frowned, who would call him? He walked from his seat towards the exit, pulling his phone from his pocket, expecting to see his mother or grandmother’s caller ID on the screen. It was Phil’s though. Dan stared for a few seconds before realizing that he hadn’t answered. He hit the answer button and put the phone to his ear.

“Hello?” he said, his voice more unsure then he wanted it to be.

“Hey, its Phil. From the plane. And last night.” Dan smiled, and felt annoyed with himself. He wanted to remain calm and cool. 

“Yea, hi.” 

“I’m just now getting done with work for the day, I wanted to see if you wanted to go get a drink?” Dan paused for a second, wondering if he should play hard to get after not hearing from him all day. Deciding that was more work than probably necessary he agreed, and they decided on a location. He made his way back to his seat to find Christopher slumped in his sleep, barely awake. Dan rolled his eyes and took his seat and elbowed his friend who snorted loudly and shot up. 

“That was rude,” he pouted, straightening his glasses. 

“So is falling asleep in the middle of someone’s showcase,” Dan whispered. Christopher shrugged but didn’t argue further. When the show ended Dan pulled Christopher to his feet and stuffed him into a cab, sliding in behind him. When Dan gave directions to Phil’s hotel where they were meeting for drinks Christopher raised his eyebrows questioningly at him. 

“So, the architect finally texted?” he asked, not sounding as casually as he probably thought he was. 

Dan cleared his throat, “he called actually.”

“Who does that?” Christopher laughed. 

“I don’t know, I thought it was my mom actually.” Christopher howled at this and Dan rolled his eyes but smiled. The cab idled in from of the hotel Phil had given him the address to and Dan paid the cab driver and bid Christopher farewell.

He navigated his way to the hotel bar, spotting Phil quickly. When Phil saw him at the entrance he waved him over to the seat next to him at the bar. Dan took the seat and ordered a drink from the bartender who had appeared when he sat down. 

“Charge it to my room please.” Phil said. He smiled at Dan and took a sip of the dark cocktail in his hand. Dan returned the smile and took a long pull of the martini placed in front of him. He felt a bit nervous and knew that a few drinks would help tamper that. 

“How have you been?” Phil asked. He was wearing a black suit today but had chosen a turquoise dress shirt that he had unbuttoned at some point, which helped make his eyes look especially blue.

“It was good, I just went to today’s set of shows. How about you?” 

“Long, our first meeting got changed to 6 this morning, which is why I had to leave so early last night.”

“That sounds terrible!” Dan shuddered. Anything before noon was asking a lot of him. 

“It was!” Phil laughed, “Plus I spilled my coffee first thing and I couldn’t get another for two hours, I was practically a zombie.” He held his arms out in front of him for dramatic effect and Dan giggled.

“So, you’re a caffeine addict I take it?” He had finished his drink now and was feeling a bit more relaxed. 

“One of the worst you’ll ever meet,” Phil whispered faux-seriously. “One time in University I almost missed an exam because I was in line at Starbucks.”

“Why wouldn’t you just go to your exam and then go back!” 

“Because I would have been useless without coffee!” Phil exclaimed. They both started laughing at that point, Dan feeling a bit brave, grabbed lightly at Phil’s arm. Phil’s eyes lingered on Dan’s hand for a moment and he caught Dan’s eye. Dan had an intense urge to kiss him and might have if they hadn’t been in a room full of people. He removed his hand and took a long pull of his drink. He could see Phil watching him out of the corner of his eye and turned to face him. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

One drink had turned into four and Dan’s limbs were lovely and loose. Every silly joke or antidote Phil told he found hilarious, giggling like a school girl with her first crush. He had also taken to casually finding ways to touch Phil. He had worried he might be crossing a line, but each causal touch was being returned and Dan felt himself grow bolder each time. Small brushes turned into lingering touches to Phil’s thigh, or placing his hand on his arm and leaving it there for minutes at a time. 

When the bartender asked if he wanted a fifth drink, Dan declined. He had perfect amount of alcohol in his system, he felt in control of his decisions but didn’t feel that nervous energy that seemed to thrum through his system when he was around Phil. 

“Do you need to leave?” Phil asked, and Dan felt a bit smug to recognize that he sounded a bit sad about that prospect.

“No, I just don’t want to get any more drunk. If anything happens, I want to be responsible for my actions. Unless you *need* me to leave?” Dan asked, happy to see Phil immediately start to shake his head.

“No, I don’t need you to leave.” He smiled and took the last sip of his drink and placed his free hand on Dan’s thigh. Dan bit his lip and looked under his eye lashes at Phil. He stroked his fingers up and down Phil’s arm, enjoying the feeling of Phil’s hand on his leg. He leaned forward and whispered into Dan’s ear. 

“Follow me.” He stood up from his seat and reached for Dan’s hand, Dan took it without hesitation. He wasn’t sure where they were going, but if the look that Phil had been giving him for the past 45 minutes was any indication, he wouldn’t regret it. Phil led him to the elevator doors and pressed the up button furiously. Phil looked over at Dan and gave him a small smile and gave his hand a small squeeze. When the elevator dinged, and doors opened, they entered, and Phil swiped his hotel card and pressed the penthouse button. 

Once they were in motion Phil leaned into Dan's space and he felt all the air leave his lungs. Up close he could see the flecks of green and yellow in Phil’s eyes behind his glasses, and a small smattering of freckles across his nose. 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you all night,” he whispered, and Dan’s breath hitched again. Phil’s fingers had started making small circles on his hipbones over his t-shirt. Dan’s hands were gripping onto Phil’s arms, slowly pulling him in closer.  
“Can I kiss you?” Phil had barely finished the question when Dan’s mouth was on his. Phil’s lips were soft, and he tasted like the drinks they had just finished and the maraschino cherries he kept stealing from the bartender’s station when they were distracted. Dan felt Phil’s hands in his hair give a minuscule tug and he let out a small groan. Dan pulled him forward by the lapels of his suit jacket until Phil was pressing him to the wall of the elevator and increased the intensity of the kiss. He nipped at Phil’s bottom lip and was surprised by the small growl that came from the man, but it made him happy to know it was a step in the right direction. 

He felt Phil’s tongue pressing lightly at his lips, as if asking for permission. Dan met his tongue with his own and groaned at the new sensation. He moved his hands from Phil’s suit jacket to his hair and ran it through the black strands, giving it a light tug. Phil groaned again and moved his hands from Dan’s hair to his backside and gave it a firm squeeze. Dan let out a full-on gasp at this, just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened to Phil’s penthouse. The two separated slightly, lips both swollen from their kiss.

“Still want to come inside?” Phil asked earnestly. Dan nodded and smiled, and Phil led him into the lavish suite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always a big thanks to my wife, my unwilling editor in chief, who reads my terrible writing and laughs at my typos, even though jokes on her, she married this mess.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for smut, its light (and not well written) but if it makes you uncomfortable you can skip the first chunk. 
> 
> I think it might be coming towards a end here soon. possibly one or two more chapters so I will try and get it finished up in the next week or two if possible. thank you for reading!

Dan didn’t get to fully appreciate how lavish Phil’s suite was before he was being pressed against the wall nearest the door. The air left his lungs from the impact and before he could get it back Phil’s lips were on his again. Phil was an excellent kisser. If the only thing that came from this night was Phil’s lips on his, Dan would be happy; but the bulge pressed against his hip made him think that probably wouldn’t be the case. Dan gave an experimental roll of his hips against Phil’s and the resounding groan made a smirk come to his lips. Feeling bold he creeped his fingers towards Phil’s waistband and ran his fingers along the soft hair on his tummy. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, never one to assume someone’s consent. 

“Very,” Phil’s voice had lowered a few octaves, making Dan’s dick twitch in his jeans. Dan unbuttoned Phil’s pants and got his hand around the thick length. Phil’s eyes fluttered and closed, a low moan deep in his throat.

“God Dan,” Phil rutted into Dan’s hand, chasing more of his touch. Dan took advantage of Phil’s closed eyes and reversed their positions, pining Phil against the wall. Phil let out a huff of surprise, laughing, catching Dan off guard. Phil pulled him in for a kiss, a smile still on his lips. Dan couldn’t help returning the smile, feeling the ease they had with each other from downstairs return. He leaned into the kiss before dropping to his knees and working on moving Phil’s pants down his legs. Once the black dress pants were pooled around Phil’s ankles, Dan looked up at him from under his lashes and the look that Phil was giving him made his own cock twitch in his pants. His blue eyes were half lidded behind his glasses, his pupils blown. He carded his hand through Dan’s hair, pulling lightly on the tangled curls.

“Are you gonna suck me while you’re down there, gorgeous?” Dan felt a whine leave his lips and nodded, stroking Phil’s cock. He licked a long strip up from the bottom to the tip, watching as Phil’s head hit the wall. Dan smirked and took the tip in his mouth, working on taking the entire length. He could hear Phil making tiny groaning noises, his glasses starting to slip down his nose but both hands were in Dan’s hair, working him gradually towards his pelvis. Dan took a deep breath through his nose and pressed Phil deeper down his throat, feeling the tickle of Phil’s pubic hair touch his nose. Phil moaned loudly and thrusted forward, causing Dan to sputter.

“Oh God, I’m sorry,” he stuttered, pulling Dan off him. Dan laughed, wiping the bit of dripple, that had spilled out of his mouth when Phil trusted forward, off his chin. 

“It’s fine, I want you to fuck my throat.” Dan didn’t give Phil a chance to reply, simply worked back onto his cock. Phil didn’t waste any time being coy this time, working Dan all the way down his length and snapping his hips forward. Dan relaxed his throat and let Phil chase his pleasure, his own cock twitching from the rough feeling of Phil’s hands in his hair and his throat being stretched.

“I’m gonna come,” Phil warned, trying to pull Dan off. Dan whined and grabbed onto his hips, pulling himself forward. Phil thrust twice more before he was coming. Dan pulled back slightly to swallow, sucking Phil lightly through his orgasm. When he was sure Phil was finished Dan eased off and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and got to his feet. Phil pulled him into a rough kiss and started leading him towards the nearest piece of furniture, a massive sofa. They both stumbled a few times, unwilling to break the kiss and thanks to Phil not having enough patience to pull up his pants, but Phil managed to guide them into the sofa safely, laying Dan down and hovering on top of him. 

Phil kissed down Dan’s neck, sucking a mark onto his collarbone. Dan was a wreck, Phil was touching him everywhere his hands could reach, and his lips and tongue were kissing and sucking every bare piece of skin they could find. Phil tugged at Dan’s belt, silently asking for permission. 

Dan nodded, “please,” he whined. 

“It would be my pleasure.” Phil undid Dan’s belt and pants in what was surely record time, pulling them to his knees before returning to his spot above him. He resumed work on what was bound to be a particularly dark hickey, this time stroking Dan’s cock with one of his large hands. Dan had lost all control over himself at this point, whining and groaning at the top of his lungs, thrusting up into Phil’s fist. 

“You’re so beautiful under me like this.” Phil whispered into Dan’s ear, causing Dan’s cock to give a particularly violent throb at the praise. “I’ve wanted to see you like this since the bar. I knew you’d look so gorgeous all spread out and desperate. And you sucked my cock so well, how did I get lucky?” Dan was a goner. He didn’t have a chance to warn Phil before he was coming all over his fist and their stomachs. Phil kissed him through it and Dan felt his eyes start to droop along with his spirts. 

They laid there for a few minutes before Dan started to get up, giving Phil a slight nudge to have him move off him. Phil looked confused but stood up too, pulling his pants up. 

“Thanks, I had a really good time.” Dan said, working on redoing his belt buckle, purposely avoiding eye contact.

“Are you leaving?” Phil asked. His brow was furrowed so deep it almost looked like it hurt. Dan resisted the urge to reach out and smooth it out. 

“Well I just figured…” Dan trailed off awkwardly. This wasn’t how one night stands usually went for him. Most people were escorting him out of the door as soon as they were finished and usually he was happy to leave. He didn’t feel that this time though, he wanted to stay but why would Phil want him to?

“I mean, if you need to leave I understand, I was just hoping you would stay,” Phil said, in a tone that didn’t make Dan feel like it was for his sake. Phil said things that he meant, he could already tell that was true. 

“Okay,” Dan said smiling. Phil pulled him into a hug and nosed at his neck but didn’t kiss him, just took a deep breath and held him. Dan returned the hug and felt the little bit of tension he had been carrying in his shoulders since he had gotten up fade. Phil wanted him here and he wanted to stay. 

“I can call down and get you an extra toothbrush and you can wear some of my pajamas if you want.” Dan nodded and followed Phil into the double doors across the room into the master bedroom. It was a huge room, with an incredible view of the city. Dan sat on the bed while Phil ruffled through his suitcase. He handed Dan a black Pokémon t-shirt and a pair of Start Wars pajama pants. Dan stared at the clothes and back at Phil, standing there in his likely designer suit. 

“What?” Phil asked obliviously. Dan laughed loudly, falling back onto the bed. 

“What?” Phil asked again, laughing with Dan. Dan sat up and wiped tears from his eyes.

“I just didn’t expect these to be your pajamas.”

“Did you think that I wore a suit to bed?” Phil asked, starting to get undressed. 

“I don’t know, maybe.” Dan laughed as Phil gave him a playful shove onto the bed. He laid on top of him and kissed him again, but neither could properly kiss as they were both smiling too much.

“I’m not just all business you know. I do have interests other than work and hot boys who stare at me on airplanes,” Phil teased. Dan rolled his eyes but smirked anyway. He kissed Phil again but lightly pushed against his shoulders. 

“Get off me nerd, I’m sleepy. We’re also both still covered in come.” Phil moved off him and helped him off the bed. 

“Do you wanna take a shower?” Dan nodded, following Phil into the massive en suite bathroom. Dan stripped out of his clothes and turned the shower on. Dan stepped into the hot water and sighed. He wiped the water from his eyes and looked at Phil who was ending a call with housekeeping about sending up a toothbrush, robe and additional towels. Phil smiled and left the room to meet the housekeeper. Dan stood in the hot water and let it relax him. 

He couldn’t help feeling surprised that he was here. He had only known Phil for a short-time, only a few days really, but he couldn’t help feeling drawn to him. He was attractive, smart and funny. He had caught Dan off guard several times that night with his bad jokes and puns, and the occasional sexual innuendo. He was so different than most of the people Dan was usually around. California was full of people who only cared about their careers and their careers were centered around themselves. Phil had only talked about his job a handful of times, but out of those times it was easy to see his passion and drive for his field. He often asked Dan about his interests and passions, not just talking about himself, it was so refreshing but it was also a bit overwhelming. Phil was older, he knew what he wanted out of life. Dan couldn’t help feeling a bit like a child in comparison next to him. 

Dan heard Phil enter the bathroom again and watched him place the items from housekeeping on the counter. He made to leave the room and Dan called out “aren’t you going to join me?” Phil raised his eye brows but grinned and worked his way out of his suit. Once he was completely stripped he opened the glass door and joined Dan under the hot spray. They washed their faces and hair quickly, giving each other coy smiles and small touches. When they got out they dressed and brushed their teeth before climbing into the king size bed. Dan stayed on one side, unsure if Phil would want to cuddle, but he pulled Dan into the middle and against his chest. He nosed Dan’s neck, smelling the body wash they had just used and made a content sigh.

“Is this okay?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Dan replied. He wasn’t normally one for cuddling, but he also wasn’t one for sleeping over either. Phil was defying all his “usuals.”

********************

Phil’s alarm clock ringing woke Dan from a heavy sleep far earlier than he intended on waking up. Dan groaned loudly and felt Phil get up beside him. He pulled the covers over his head and whined loudly again. He must have fallen back asleep because soon Phil was lightly shaking his shoulder,

“Hey, I have to go to work for a few hours. Stay and order some room service if you want. I’ll call you later okay.” Dan nodded, blinking sleepily at him. Phil kissed him deeply, apparently not minding that Dan’s mouth surely tasted of death. Dan kissed back and smiled at Phil as he pulled away.

“Have a good day at work dear,” Dan said jokingly. Phil’s answering smile was dazzling though, and he kissed Dan again, “I will darling.” He pulled away and left the room, leaving Dan to fall back asleep for the next two hours. 

When he woke up, he did as Phil had instructed and ordered room service. Blueberry pancakes, bacon and coffee, being sure to send a picture of his coffee to Phil; ‘got my caffeine fix, hope you did too.’ He tucked into his food and his phone rang halfway through his third bite. 

“Hey, Kari,”

“So, I take it you have some news to tell me?” Dan frowned, unsure what she was talking about.

“Well, you just texted me a picture of your room service but that isn’t your room Danny.” Dan face palmed, of course he hadn’t been paying attention to who he texted. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t have told Kari about staying at Phil’s, but two hours after he woke up wouldn’t have been the ideal time.

“Uh yea, so you know the guy on the plane I told you about who was at the bar the other night? He asked me for my number and we had drinks last night and we kind of went back to his room….” He could hear Kari squealing on the line.

“You actually spent the night with someone? They must be some sort of God.” Dan rolled his eyes but laughed anyway. 

“He’s an architect actually. He’s 27 and he’s British too. He lives in London, which is where his firm is based in, but he has an office in LA which is why he was flying out of LAX.”

“Why is he in Paris?” Kari asked. 

“His company is hosting a convention,” Dan replied. He finished his last bite of breakfast and moved to get out of bed. 

“That’s crazy, what are the odds that you guys would be on the same flight?” 

“I don’t know,” Dan said. He didn’t believe in coincidences and fate, he just knew that he was happy that he booked the seat that he did.

“Is he good in bed?” 

“I haven’t had sex with him yet, we just fooled around a little.” Dan had wandered around the penthouse a little and it was bigger than he realized. He was almost afraid to get lost, so he retreated to the room and worked on locating his clothes. They talked a little while longer while Dan got dressed and brushed his teeth. Once he was sure he had all his things, he located a notepad and pen by the phone and left Phil and note: “thank you for the wonderful night, Dan <3”

He called a cab and texted Christopher to let him know that he would be at the next show a little late, that he still needed to shower and get ready. Christopher’s reply was full of several suggestive emojis and lewd questions about how his night went but Dan simply locked his phone and closed his eyes. He resent the picture of his breakfast he accidentally sent to Kari to Phil, the original recipient. He hoped he would receive a reply text, his nerves from yesterday returning. When he arrived at his hotel he showered and dressed quickly, not wanting to pull a Christopher and walk in halfway through a set. 

When he reached the venue he quickly found his seat and avoided Christopher’s questions about the night before, only telling him that he had ‘a nice evening, thank you very much.’ He almost felt a sense of de ja vu, wanting to constantly check his phone. He wanted to believe that Phil liked him and that he would call him like he said he would, but the lack of reply made him worry, maybe needlessly. 

It wasn’t until later that evening when he was back in his hotel room, pajamas on and Netflix pulled up on his laptop when his phone rang. It was Phil’s name on the caller ID and the breath Dan didn’t know he was holding left his lungs. 

“Hi,” he answered, a smile already on his lips.

“Hey, how was your day?” Phil sounded tired, and Dan remembered that he was the one who got to go back to sleep for part of the day, but Phil didn’t, and he felt a twinge of guilt.

“It was good, how was yours?” Dan replied.

“Good, just really busy. I’m sorry I didn’t get to come back to the room while you were still there. I was only supposed to have to come in for a few hours but there was a crisis and apparently no one else in the company knows how to handle things except me.” Phil chuckled when he said this so Dan knew he wasn’t too upset. 

“It’s okay, I just ate and then left. The room service was excellent.” 

“I got your picture, I wish I could have had breakfast with yo-” Phil’s sentence was caught off half way through by a yawn. Dan laughed and shook his head.

“You need to go to bed dork,” he yawned himself, feeling Phil’s fatigue wear on him. 

“Fine,” Phil conceded. “I don’t have to go into the office tomorrow, do you have any plans?”

“No,” Dan said, a grin on his lips. 

“Would you like to join me for dinner?” Dan nodded before realizing Phil couldn’t see him.  
“I would like that,” Dan said. 

“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow with more details.” 

“Okay,” Dan said. They said their goodbyes and Dan resumed his show, a smile remaining on his face throughout the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you have any thoughts/comments/feedback please let me know! I love hearing what you guys think!
> 
> @tobieallison on tumblr


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are nearing the end guys! I have the last chapter all planned out, I just have to get it written down. baring any catastrophes, I plan on having it posted next Sunday. Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with the story, I hope you've been enjoying reading it as much as I've been enjoying writing it. 
> 
> as a bonus because I can't help but be *extra* I have created a playlist on Spotify. they are all songs that have either inspired the story, or when I heard them reminded me of it. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/tobielovell/playlist/298Euv62oLMemgtpYdf8iQ?si=Y2qlF1fjTKCJWlxfO7bwQw

Dan put on what he thought might be his 10th outfit and stared in the floor length mirror in his room. When he had asked Phil where they would be eating Phil refused to tell him but told him to “dress fancy.” Dan rolled his eyes now, remembering the conversation because what was that even supposed to mean? Phil probably thought fancy meant tuxes and ball gowns, and Dan probably had a much more relaxed idea of what fancy meant, like a nice button up shirt. 

He tapped his phone nervously and stared at his outfit, black skinny jeans and a Gucci white button up and black dress shoes and thought ‘fuck it.’ Maybe if this wasn’t proper enough he would get a “Set It Off” moment and his suitor would stop and buy him a fancy new outfit. He heard a knock on the door as he was checking his hair for the umpteenth time and went to answer it, feeling nervous for reasons he couldn’t possibly explain. Phil stood with a bouquet of roses looking, much to Dan’s relief, very similarly dressed. His dark blue shirt had tiny black hearts decorating it along with black skinny jeans and black dress shoes. 

Dan smiled, accepting the flowers and let him into his room. 

“You look great, I was afraid I would be underdressed,” he said setting the flowers on the nightstand next to his bed and grabbed his keys and wallet. 

“You look incredible; you would in anything you wore I’m sure.” Dan flushed at the compliment but smiled. Phil extended his arm slightly, as if wanting to pull Dan in but not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Dan went willingly, happy to be close to him after not seeing him all day. Phil placed his arms around Dan’s waist and gave him a chaste kiss. Dan sighed into the kiss and leaned in to make it deeper, but Phil pulled away before Dan could make it linger. Dan pouted, and Phil let out a chuckle. 

“Come on, we have reservations. If you start kissing me like that we’re never gonna leave your room.” Phil started pulling Dan towards the door by his hand. 

“Is that really the worst thing?” Dan asked, still pouting playfully. Phil didn’t reply but winked at him and smiled. 

***************************************************************

When the cab pulled up to a hotel Dan raised his eyes at Phil questioningly. Phil laughed and shook his head. 

“Just trust me,” he said, paying the cab driver and offering to help Dan out of the car. Dan took his hand and walked with him into the building to the set of grand elevators. The hotel looked expensive, like it was for royalty. 

“Is this the part where you tell me you are secretly like a prince or something?” Dan joked, playing with Phil’s fingers, still holding his hand. Phil laughed again, it was such a lovely sound, Dan was happy to hear it so often. 

“No, I’m not a secret prince. I’m just a workaholic who has very good business connections and can get reservations at restaurants that you normally have to be practically royalty to get into.” Dan raised his eyebrows at him but didn’t say anything. They took the elevator to the roof, and as soon as they were seated Dan understood why Phil chose this specific place. The sun was just starting to set, and there was an incredible view of the city, including the Eiffel Tower. Dan looked around in amazement and looked back to Phil who was looking at Dan with a dazzling smile on his face.  
“I thought you might like it here,” he said, cheeks a delicate pink. Dan felt a powerful desire to kiss him, but instead he smiled and said, “I love it,” and went back to admiring the view until a waitress came with drink menus. 

They both ordered French Martinis, a recommendation from Phil who apparently loved all things sweet. They sipped their cocktails, (‘see delicious, I told you’ Phil said smugly) and enjoyed the view for a few minutes in companionable silence. Once their food arrived they chatted about random things finding, as they had the first night they met, that they had many things in common. They had the same interests in movies, music and tv, though not books. Dan’s love of psychology and his pretentious nature made him a fan of poetry and philosophy, while Phil was an avid horror fan.   
When the check came Dan made to grab it and Phil took it from his hand with an offended expression. 

“What in the world do you think you’re doing? I asked you on a date, I’m paying.” 

“We can split it, it’s fine,” Dan said, trying to not let the fact that his cheeks were burning bright red keep him from standing him ground. He wasn’t even sure why he was blushing. He was a grown man. He had been on dates before. Granted, it had been a long time; most of his encounters had been one-night stands, and he didn’t recall ever actually wanting to continually date anyone before. 

“Nope, I got it,” Phil said, signing the receipt and standing up and holding his hand out to Dan. Cheeks still infuriatingly red, Dan stood up and took Phil’s hand following him to the elevator. 

They stayed quiet the whole way back to Dan’s hotel, hands still clasped though. Dan could see Phil glancing at him out of the corner of his eye during the ride, but he continued to look out the window, trying to get his head in order. He liked Phil, he knew that much. It was painstakingly obvious, but he wasn’t sure what to do with that information. His life was a mess. He didn’t know what he wanted to do with himself, his career, anything. Would getting involved with someone who technically lived on the other side of the country really help him sort anything out? He sighed and felt Phil’s fingers brush over the tops of his hand lightly, reassuringly. He didn’t say anything, but he gave a small smile that Dan returned. He could think about it later, right?

They took the elevator to Dan’s floor and Dan swiped his card to open his door and Phil hesitated at the door, before Dan dragged him inside. Phil looked as if he was about to say something before Dan pressed him against the door and kissed him deeply. Phil grunted in surprise but responded instantly, gripping Dan’s hips tightly. Dan started to inch his hands towards Phil’s belt when he stopped him, pulling away from the kiss. Dan leaned a little away, slightly hurt.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay. You seemed upset in the car ride, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything to upset you at the restaurant. I know you said you wanted to split the bill but I just thought I should have paid, but I just hope it didn’t actually upset you, but if it did I wanted to talk about it before we jumped into bed and – “ Dan cut him off with a quick peck on the lips and a smile.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You are wonderful and great and incredible and I’m just a bit moody sometimes. I’m sorry I made you worry. Can you forgive me?” Dan asked, fingers brushing over Phil’s half hard erection. Phil’s hips twitched forward and he gave Dan a smoldering look. 

“I don’t know Daniel, that wasn’t very nice of you.” Dan knew he was most likely kidding but he was instantly turned on by the change of pace. Dan gave Phil a challenging look and Phil led him to the bed and laid on top of him, pinning his hands above his head.

“Is this okay?” he whispered into Dan’s ear, nibbling on the lobe and grinding down. “Yes,” Dan breathed and turned his head so that Phil could work his way down his neck. Phil mouthed at the purple bruises he had left their last night together and sucked to darken them and Dan could do nothing but whine and try to grind up into Phil, who had sat up and removed his weight so Dan had nothing to give him any relief. 

“You know, this Gucci shirt looks really incredible on you, put I bet it would look even better on the floor,” Phil breathed, moving his hands from Dan’s wrists to unbutton the shirt. Dan grabbed Phil’s hands and stopped him.

“If you throw this shirt on the floor, I will murder you,” Dan said pulling him into a quick kiss and laying back down to let Phil resume his work. Phil rolled his eyes but delicately undid the buttons and when it was off of Dan’s body Phil got off the bed and left the room, shirt still in hand.

“What are you doing?” Dan yelled, his erection throbbing at this point. Phil returned a second later, shirt on a hanger in a dry clean bag and placed it on the hook by the door. Phil quirked his   
eyebrows and returned to the bed, working on removing Dan’s pants. 

“Wow,” Dan said, eyes rolling. Phil tickled his side and Dan screamed and kicked, laughing loudly.

“Okay, okay I’m sorry! Just please take my pants off already!” Phil complied and removed the tight jeans and returned to his position on top of Dan, kissing him languidly. Dan moaned and started working on Phil’s shirt, “you’re wearing too many clothes, it’s not fair.” Phil chuckled but pulled his button up over his head and threw it on the ground and got off the bed to remove his jeans and underwear. Dan groaned at his naked form. 

“God hurry up and do something please, I’m dying over here.” 

“You’re really demanding, has anyone ever told you that?” 

“All the time,” Dan replied getting up to find the lube he had packed in his suitcase. He removed his underwear and got back on the bed and opened the lube, getting ready to start stretching himself when Phil stopped him. Dan looked at him worriedly.

“Can I?” Phil asked. Dan nodded enthusiastically and laid down. Phil hovered over him and coated his fingers in the cool liquid. He pressed his finger to Dan’s hole and pressed in slowly. Dan groaned and tried to press it deeper, but Phil put a hand on his hip and stopped him.

“You’re gonna hurt yourself,” Phil scolded, pressing a little deeper. Dan rolled his eyes but didn’t try it again until he was ready for the second finger. Phil moved slowly, just to test Dan’s patience. Every time Dan would press himself down Phil would ease back and leave Dan frustrated and whining. Phil sucked a dark mark onto the lower part of Dan’s neck as he eased in the third finger, Dan felt a slight burn. A brush against his prostate made the pain go the back of his mind though and within a minute or so he felt ready. 

“Okay, I’m ready, please go,” Dan was babbling by this point. 

“Do you have condoms?” Phil asked. Dan nodded and got up to retrieve them from his suitcase. He handed one to Phil and laid back down, and made the hurry motion causing Phil to roll his eyes but hurry nonetheless. Phil groaned slightly at the attention to his erection, finally getting a bit of relief. He pressed against Dan’s entrance and started to push in slowly. Dan wrapped his legs around Phil’s waist to press him in further. Phil groaned but tried to resist, not wanting to hurt him. 

“Have some patience would you, you’re not gonna be able to walk tomorrow,” Phil pressed in deeper as he said this, causing Dan to groan and throw his head back.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Phil laughed, kissed him and thrusted in deeply. Dan whined loudly and moved his hips upwards to match Phil’s movements. They matched each other’s movements and started a rhythm, Phil finding Dan’s prostate and hitting it with each thrust had Dan seeing stars. He knew he was being loud, but he also didn’t care, and it would have been nearly impossible to keep quiet. He felt himself grow close and gripped Phil harder, his whines increasing in pitch. 

“Phil, God-I’m gonna come,” he panted. Phil increased his pace and sucked another mark on his neck, sneaking his hand between them to stroke Dan’s leaking cock. It only took a few rough pulls and Dan was practically screaming and coming all over their stomachs. Phil groaned at how tight Dan was clenching and felt himself start to come too. 

Once they both had cooled down, Phil got up to discard the condom and get a towel to clean Dan up. Dan was curled up in a ball on the bed, practically comatose. Phil wiped him off and crawled into bed with him, covering them both up. Dan turned over to face him and pulled Phil towards him so that he could tuck himself under Phil’s chin. He sighed deeply and ran his fingers through the hair on Phil’s chest. He felt words start to come to the tip of his tongue, but he bit them back. He wanted to just enjoy the rest of the night before having to deal all of the things going on his head. 

“Good night Dan,” Phil said, sleep already laced into his voice, arms warped securely around Dan.

“Night Phil.”

******************************************************************

Dan woke up sweating, tangled in blankets and too many arms and legs. He was confused at first, thinking he was still dreaming that he was some sort of alien with extra limbs when he realized it was Phil’s gangly arms and legs wrapped around him still that was making him too hot. He removed himself as gently as he could and got up to brush his teeth and go to the bathroom. When he came back into the room Phil was still sprawled out on the bed, naked and fast asleep. Dan felt himself grin like an idiot at the site. He found some pajamas to put on and went out to the balcony to order some room service for them. He browsed the menu, panicking slightly when he realized that he didn’t know what Phil liked to eat for breakfast. He knew he had to have coffee so he made sure to order a whole pot and decided to order one of everything, so he had plenty of options. 

He scrolled through twitter until the knock alerted him the food was there. Phil woke up slightly startled at the sound, and looked around bewildered, squinting without the aid of his glasses. Dan laughed and covered his naked body with the blanket and handed him his glasses.

“It’s just room service dork.” He answered the door and thanked the staff in broken French, directing them to place the cart by the bed. Phil looked wild, sitting up in bed with his eyes still half swollen with sleep, glasses on crooked and hair standing up every which way. Dan felt fondness coursing through his whole body and got onto the bed with Phil and kissed him deeply. Phil kissed back, a little surprised at first but his enthusiasm made itself known in seconds; his hands making their way up Dan’s shirt, pulling him closer to him.

“We need to eat breakfast, you spork.” Dan said pulling away. Phil pouted but glanced over and saw the spread of food and his eyes widened.

“Yea,” Dan said nervously, “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I ordered one of everything.” Phil pulled him in for a short sweet kiss. 

“You’re amazing, do you know that?” Dan shook his head and blushed, moving off the bed to make himself a plate. Phil followed, grabbing his underwear and going to the bathroom before joining Dan on the balcony with a plate heaped with waffles and syrup and a cup of coffee. 

“I probably could have just ordered you a cup of syrup and you would have been fine,” Dan teased, poking Phil with his toe, resting his feet and the edge of Phil’s chair. Phil didn’t respond, just stuck his tongue out and stuffed a large bite of waffle into his mouth. In the course of the meal Phil managed to cover himself in syrup, giving Dan an excuse to pull him into the shower with him.

Dan kissed the syrup from his lips and chin, enjoying the slight scrape from the stubble growing there. Phil pressed him to the cold wall and sank to his knees, pressing kisses to Dan’s thighs and biting the sensitive skin. By the time he finally took Dan into his mouth Dan thought he might actually die of relief. He didn’t last long, coming into Phil’s mouth. Phil swallowed and licked his lips. Dan dragged him up to stand on his feet and pressed him against the glass wall, smirking at Phil’s grimace at the cold wall. He wrapped his hand around Phil’s leaking cock and jerked him off quickly, kissing him leisurely. 

When they were finished they washed up and got dressed, Phil borrowing a t-shirt and a pair of underwear and climbing back into bed. They pulled up Friends on Dan’s laptop and laid next to each other, Phil’s arm slung across Dan’s shoulders. 

Dan’s phone rang, his mom’s caller ID popping up on the screen. He hesitated before answering it. 

“It’s okay,” Phil said, moving to give Dan space if he needed it. Dan moved to sit up but stayed in bed. 

“Hello,” he answered. His mom sounded stressed when she answered, telling him about how the caterer for the party had canceled and she couldn’t find a replacement. Dan suggested the mom of his friend from school, she was a retired cook who sometimes catered for friends. She loved the suggestion and started into the next topic, talking a mile a minute. Dan spent most of the conversation making noises of affirmation, giving her his feedback on the party. 

“When does your flight get in darling,” she asked, having finished her tangent on the outfit her cousin planned on wearing to the party.

“I’m getting in late Saturday night, I still wanted to surprise Grandma. You didn’t tell anyone I’m coming did you?”

“Of course not,” she answered. “Do you need to be picked up from the airport?”

“No, I can just take a taxi. I already booked a room.” He could hear her tsk at him knowing she would rather he stayed at the house. If living on his own had taught him anything, it was that he valued his privacy and living with his parents, even just for a weekend, was nothing he wanted to experience again. He loved his family, but he was not in a rush to be under their scrutiny again. 

“Very well, I’ll see you Sunday then. If you get in early enough come in for tea tomorrow dear.”

“I’ll try,” Dan promised, hanging up the call. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize she was going to talk to much,” Dan said chuckling lightly. 

“It’s okay, my mom is the same way,” Phil said with a smile. Phil pulled Dan back into his chest and kissed his head. 

“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Phil asked quietly. Here it was, the conversation Dan had been dying to avoid. Dan cleared his voice, “8, I chose a late flight, so I have most of the day to get   
packed and stuff.” Phil nodded. 

“Where do your parents live? Or, sorry, that’s probably a creepy question. Don’t answer that.” Dan laughed, feeling a little bit of the pressure leave his chest. 

“No, it’s okay. They live in Reading, but they have a place in Manchester and that’s where my Grandma lives so that’s where I’m flying into.” Phil pulled away from Dan and looked at him with a shocked expression on his face.

“That’s where I’m from! That’s where my parents live too!” Dan frowned at him confused, 

“I thought you were from London,” he said, raking his brain trying to remember if he had told him this information before.

“No, that’s where I work now but I grew up in Manchester. Did you think I got this fancy Northern accent in London?” Dan laughed, he had a point.

“What a small world,” Dan said, snuggling back into the bed and Phil’s warmth. Phil ran his hands through Dan’s hair and Dan hummed contentedly and closed his eyes.

“Are you going back to LA after you go home?” Dan took a deep breath in and sighed, opening his eyes. 

“I don’t know. The idea of going back kind of makes me want to die. Like I would miss the sun and Kari, my best friend, but that’s it. It’s so far away from my family and everyone over there just sucks. And I’m not doing anything worthwhile there. Everyone over there just parties and talks about their diets and their last audition. I want to do something with my degrees, but I don’t think I want to do it there, but I don’t know what I even want to do.” He let out a huff of breath. “Shit sorry, I didn’t mean to unload.” Phil rubbed his arm comfortingly and kissed the top of his head.

“You went to school for psychology and fashion, right?” Dan nodded, surprised Phil had remembered when he had only mentioned it once or twice. 

“I’m sure there are plenty of internships or jobs you could get anywhere who be happy to have you work for them. You just attended Fashion Week, I’m sure you have some connections there who could help you find something if you wanted to go that route.” Dan nodded, seeing the sense in this. He did want to do something in fashion, this past week had definitely showed him that. While he loved psychology, he could see himself creating his own clothing line someday and that excited him. “That’s smart. You’re smart.” Phil blushed and gave Dan a sweet kiss, before returning to their show. 

Their morning was cut slightly short by Phil’s phone ringing, a call from a work colleague signaling a likely end to their relaxing morning. Phil rolled his eyes deeply at seeing who was calling and answered in a brisk tone. The conversation was short but by the end of it, it was obvious Phil would have to leave. Dan tried not to show how disappointed he was that this news.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have to go in, we are done with the convention we are just trying to tie up loose ends but I work with a bunch of old men who can barely log onto a laptop, let alone navigate a spreadsheet. I won’t be gone long, keep the bed warm for me?” Dan smiled warmly, nodding, happy to hear Phil would be returning. Phil dressed in his clothes from the night before, his hair down in a messy fringe from their shower, still somehow managing to look handsome and kissed Dan deeply before closing the door quietly behind him. 

Dan laid in bed for a few minutes, already missing Phil, and feeling quite pathetic about it. Dan’s text message tone chimed a few minutes later. He checked the message, surprised to see Phil’s name in the notification box. He clicked on the message and read it, a smile spreading over his face.

“As I’m sure you’ve noticed I don’t text much because I’m an old business man and texting is for you, young people, but I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had an amazing time with you this past couple of days. I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen, but I am thankful that you’ve chosen to spend your time in this beautiful city with me. You’re smart and beautiful and whatever you decide to do with your future is going to be great because you are wonderful. I miss being next to you in bed already and I will hurry back as soon as I can. XOXO – Phil”

Dan read the message several times before replying several hearts back to Phil and a “hurry back please.” His mouth was starting to hurt from smiling so much, so he decided to use this time alone and take Phil’s suggestion and call some of his connections from Fashion week and see what he could find. For the first time in a long time he felt excited and hopeful about his future and not just anxious and confused, and he knew it had a lot to do with a certain black-haired architect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you haven't already guessed this section will forever be the part where I thank my wife for being my editor. she's the best and has inspired this story in many ways, from the bants, and gross affection, to Phil's morning bedhead. I love her very much and I'm so glad she puts up the fact that I'm a nerd who writes fan fiction.
> 
> for reference "Set It Off" is a movie from the 90's that my mother was obsessed with where the lovely Jada Pinkett Smith goes to a fancy dinner with her date and wears a 70's jump suit instead of a dress, so he stops at a expensive store on the way and buys her a new outfit. it's a great movie, 10/10 would recommend. 
> 
> also the roof top bar that they go to is "Le 43," an actual place in Paris. which is not as fancy as it is in the story but is from the sounds of it, is incredibly hard to get a reservation at. I'm a nerd and I like to have facts to reference.
> 
> as always, come say hi on tumblr @tobieallison


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the end! thank you to everyone who has read the story, and left kudos or comments, they have meant the world to me.
> 
> as a bit of a disclaimer, Dan's family, while they are mentioned in this chapter, are not a big part of it. I am not comfortable writing about them, and even if I was I am not very familiar with them. They are a bit of a blip in the story.

Dan stood outside the airport waiting for his cab to arrive. He texted his mother, Kari, Christopher and Phil that his flight had went well and that he had arrived in Manchester safely and started scrolling through twitter. His mother replied and insisted he stop by for a quick cup of tea but he replied that he was too tired and just wanted to go to his room. He was excited to see his family but his mom could be a lot sometimes, and he knew that the next few days would be a lot of her bombarding him with questions of what he was doing with his life and he wasn't up for that conversation tonight.

His cab pulled up and he helped load his bags into the car and the left to his hotel. He was surprised to receive a text from Phil on the drive, telling him he was happy he had a nice flight and asking him to call when he got settled in if he wasn't so tired. Dan couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. Dan had brought up his insecurity those first few days when Phil hadn't been in contact during the day, and Phil explained that he didn't often text, he was so used to having to call people because most of the people that he worked with were older. Dan had understood but Phil had promised to start texting more since it was obviously something that mattered to Dan. Dan had felt silly at the time, but since he had left Paris that afternoon they had already texted several times and Dan couldn't help but feel a burst of joy each time. 

Dan set down his bags in his room and pulled out the first pair of pajamas he could find, his bags in disarray. He had originally planned on spending the day packing and organizing his clothes so when he left he knew where everything was but Phil had pulled him out of bed that morning and taken him to a tiny local cafe and filled him with decadent chocolate croissants and espressos and they spent the rest of the afternoon in Dan's bed making out and having slow, leisurely sex. Three hours before his flight Dan had to scramble and throw everything in random suitcases, Phil laying in his bed laughing at him. He had eventually gotten up and started helping but still laughed, which only made Dan pout harder. Phil had rode with him to the airport, both of them quiet and contemplative. Their hands were linked together on the seat, Phil's fingers rubbing smile comforting circles on the back of Dan's hand. When they arrived at the gate Dan was unsure of the protocol he was supposed to follow. How did you say goodbye to someone who you technically knew for about 6 days, but who you wanted to spend all your time with? Dan's mind was in hyper overthink mode when Phil moved forward and kissed him softly. Dan melted into the kiss and sighed. When Phil pulled back they were both smiling, slightly sad smiles. 

"Have a good flight. Let me know when you get there okay?" Dan gave a small nod and Phil gave him another small kiss and stepped away slightly so that Dan could move towards the gate. He waved goodbye as he boarded his plane. By the time he was settled into his seat, he had a text from Phil,

"I feel a bit silly that I already miss you. I hope you have a good flight, and try not to flirt with any attractive strangers who sit next to you. I don't want you to replace me ;)"

Dan rolled his eyes but still couldn't help the smile was starting to hurt his cheeks it was so big. 

"Don't worry," he replied, "the 80 year old woman next to me, who smells a bit like cats, isn't really my type. You're in no danger of being replaced. I'll text you when I get there :)" He switched his phone to airplane mode, as the flight attendant was instructing and put in his headphones and tried to get rid of the grin that was still present on his face.

When Dan was settled into bed, teeth clean and pajamas on, he called Phil. He answered on the third ring, his Northern accent even more present when he was tired. They talked for an hour, chatting about random topics, the conversation flowing naturally between them as it had each time they were together. Phil was halfway through a story of how one of his colleagues had accidentally sent a private email meant for his wife to their boss when he yawned loudly. 

Dan chuckled, "it's probably time for bed for you, isn't it old man?" Phil started to scoff but it was cut off by another yawn. 

"No," he said indignantly. "I don't want to sleep, I wanna talk to you." Dan blushed, feeling silly because how this dorky man made him blush when he wasn't even present amazed him. 

"I wanna talk to you too, but if you pass out at work tomorrow, I don't wanna be held responsible," Dan teased. He didn't want to get off the phone either though. He had managed to get used to sleeping next to Phil in the few nights they had stayed together and he knew he probably wouldn't sleep well. As if he was reading his mind, Phil said "I'm gonna be tired no matter what. I'm gonna sleep like crap without you here. Is it weird that I got used to sleeping with you that quick?" Phil's lack of filter was one of Dan's favorite things. He never had to guess what he was thinking or his intentions because he was open and honest. It was a dramatic contrast to all the people in his life but he was thankful for it. 

"I wouldn't call it weird, clingy maybe." "Hey!" Phil said, sounding a bit wounded. Dan laughed, "I'm just kidding. I got used to it too. I miss you a lot more than I want to admit," Dan said feeling brave. He didn't normally let himself be so vulnerable with people but he trusted Phil, he knew that he was being honest with him, so he knew that he should be doing the same. "I miss you too," Phil said quietly, and Dan could hear the smile in his voice. "You still need to go to sleep," Dan said and Phil finally agreed. They said their goodbyes and Dan pulled his laptop onto his lap and pulled up some random show on Netflix, hoping watching something mindless would help him sleep.

***************************************************************************************

His phone ringing is what woke him up the next morning, instead of the alarm he had set. He groped for it on the nightstand and squinted at the caller ID. It wasn't a number he recognized but answered anyway.

"Hello," he croaked, his voice still raspy with sleep.

"Hello, is this Daniel Howell," a posh London voice asked. 

"Yes," he replied, sitting up and rubbing his face with his free hand. 

"Hello, my name is Tasha, I am a Rep from Saint Laurent. We got your information from Sydney. She said that you are interested in an internship. Is that still correct?" Dan blinked rapidly for a few seconds, not sure he was hearing correctly.

"Um, yes. Absolutely."

"Perfect, Sydney showed us your portfolio from UCLA, and though it's a little outdated you show some real promise. We would like to invite you to London for an interview, is that something you are able to do?"

"Yes, when is the interview?" Dan asked, hardly believing he was having this conversation.

"Can you be here tomorrow at 3pm? I can email you the location and additional details."

"Yes I can do that," Dan said, already pulling up flights on his laptop. He was thrumming with excitement. When he had called in a favor to one of his design professors from school he had no idea she had the connections she did. He just knew that she knew a few people in the industry, and could possibly get him a job working costumes on a movie set or something. This was far more than he could have imagined. He said his goodbyes to Tasha and finished booking his flight and threw himself back on the bed, absolutely delighted. 

He called Phil, forgetting what time it was until a groggy voice answered the phone. "Hello," Phil croaked, his voice even lower than normal. 

"Shit, sorry. I forgot how early it was!" Dan slapped a hand to his face, feeling terrible. "No, it's okay. What's up," Phil said, ever the gentleman. 

"So you know how I told you I called my professor from UCLA to see if she could use her connections to hook me up with a job or something?" Phil hummed a yes, probably still hovering on the borders of sleep. 

"Well, I got a call today from a really fancy designer and they want to interview me for an internship!" Dan tried to keep his voice down, he was excited but he didn't want to break Phil's ear drum quite so early in the morning.

"That's so great!" Phil said, sounding more awake this time. "When is your interview. Do you have to fly back to LA for it?" 

"It's tomorrow in London at 3. I was going to stay here for a few days but I'm not sure what I'll do now. I guess I'll just see how it goes and then play it by ear." 

"I'm flying back to London today, what time will your flight get in? I can pick you up?" Dan smiled, already excited about the prospect of seeing Phil again. He had it bad, he thought. Not even 24 hours since he had seen him last and he was already eager to see him again.

"I'll get in about 10, I wanted to have plenty of time." 

"Okay, we could go for a celebratory lunch?" Phil asked hesitantly. 

"That sounds lovely," Dan said. They talked a while longer, before Phil whined that he needed coffee if he was going to human at any point in the day. Dan agreed and they hung up. Dan got out of bed and got ready for the party, texting his mom that he would be over soon to help her set up. 

His mother was in full party planning mode when he arrived at the banquet hall. She gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek when he arrived, and then directed him to the DJ, to help set up a playlist since his brother had neglected to do so. He watched as his mother directed staff and various relatives around the hall, making sure everything was perfect. When guests started arriving she put on her party smile and greeted everyone warmly, directing them to the food and refreshments. Dan loitered by the snack table and tried to avoid interactions. He loved his family, but most of them were a bit snooty and looked down on him, and him living in California and not doing much with his life. The fact that he didn't have a respectable job, with a wife and two kids was certainly the cause for a lot of family gossip, even though he was still relatively young. 

When his Nan arrived he made a beeline for her, scooping her up in a tight hug. Out of everyone in his family, she was the one he talked to the most often. She had gotten him through his rough years in university when he thought he should give up, when he was putting too much pressure on himself. He was eternally grateful for the relationship they had. She was delighted at the surprise visit, scolding him for telling her that he could not make it during the week when they had talked. He spent the next few hours eating too much food and chatting away with her, telling her all about the interview in London the next day, about Phil and how wonderful he was. His mother scolded him for stealing all her attention but gave him an affection pat on the back and let the two of them resume their chat. By the time he was back in his room he drained but happy. Though his family was a bit much sometimes, he loved them and he never realized how much he missed them until he got a chance to visit them.

**********************************************************************************

Phil was waiting for him at the airport, holding a sign that said "Daniel Howell <3" on it, which caused Dan to roll his eyes but the grin on his face let Phil know that he did actually think it was adorable. Phil pulled him into a kiss as soon as he was close enough, surprising Dan but happily. Dan was still smiling when he pulled away.

"I take it you're happy to see me?" Phil's cheeks grew pink and he shook his head, "Nope, not at all." Dan rolled his eyes again but grabbed Phil's hand and led him out to the line of cabs. 

They ate lunch at a burger place that Phil liked, Dan insisting that he needed something greasy to help him recover from all the fancy food they had in Paris. They shared a milkshake, though Dan felt share was a bit of a stretch, Phil drank most of it and didn't even look guilty about it.

"You have a sugar problem, not just a coffee problem you know," Dan teased, poking Phil in the ribs playfully. Phil yelped and swatted his hand away.

"You should have thought about that before you offered to share a milkshake with me," he said, taking another long pull from his straw. Dan just shook his head and smiled, returning to his burger.

When they finished Phil took him to his apartment so Dan could change for his interview. Dan was impressed, it was a modern place with curved walls and black stairs and appliances. Each room had decorations that showed his personality though, from the collection of Stephen King novels to the Buffy and anime box sets and random plushies in each room. It made Dan smile for reasons he couldn't exactly explain. He followed Phil to his room and started getting ready, starting to feel nervous. He went to the bathroom to try and tame his hair, the mop of curls seeming extra wild today probably just to spite him. Phil found him ten minutes later, still trying to get the same curl to stay in place, edging on a freak out. Phil took his hands a pulled him into a hug.

"It's gonna be okay. It's okay to be nervous, but you're gonna be great." Dan took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Phil and nodded. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Dan felt calm again, deciding to give up on his hair completely. He followed Phil to his lounge where they sat on the sofa until Dan's cab arrived. Phil pulled him into another hug and gave him a quick kiss.

"Good luck," he said, smiling. Dan nodded a bit woodenly, his nerves starting to reappear. The cab ride was short thankfully and he arrived with plenty of time to spare. The receptionist led him to a waiting room and had him sit in a plush chair where he fidgeted nervously, trying not to adjust his hair and make it frizzy. When he was called back he took a deep breath and put on his professional face and shook their hands and smiled politely. Once they started asking him questions he felt his nerves disappear. He had concrete answers for everything they were asking, pulling up information he remembered from school easily. When they asked how he felt about relocating to London he felt himself hesitate. How did he feel about relocating? Then he thought of the past week, of no parties where everyone who he spoke to felt fake and out for themselves. No one spoke about their diets when they were at dinner. He thought of getting to spend time with his family, especially his Nan. He thought of Phil, getting to be in the same city as him, getting to give whatever this thing between them a real chance. He smiled and assured them that relocating would be no problem.

********************************************************************************************

Dan stood on Phil's doorstep, waiting for him to be buzzed in. When he finally heard the buzz he opened the door and made his way to the elevator. He pushed the third floor and felt his phone ring in his pocked. Phil was calling, probably seeing how is interview had gone since Dan hadn't responded to his text earlier. Dan hit ignore and departed the elevator when it arrived on Phil's floor. He knocked on his door, chewing on his lip nervously waiting for him to open the door. When he did, he looked surprised to see Dan. 

"Hey, how come you didn't answer my call, are you okay? How did the interview go," he asked ushering Dan inside. Dan sniffed dramatically, and Phil looked at him sadly, rubbing his back consolingly. 

"it's okay that it didn't happen this time, I'm sure there are plenty of places that would love to have you work for them." Dan nodded, sitting down.

"Yea, you're right.... just like this one." Phil frowned at him, "so...." Dan smiled hugely, "I got it!" 

"You jerk, I thought you were upset cause you didn't," Phil gave him a tiny shove before pulling him into a kiss. Dan was smiling so much his face was starting to hurt. 

"It went really well. They said they normally don't offer right away but they think I have 'tons of potential'" Dan said, using air quotes. Phil rolled his eyes and kissed him again.

"I'm sure you do have a lot of potential. They wouldn't have hired you if you didn't." Dan just buried his face into Phil's neck and smiled, overwhelmed with happiness. 

"So, did they tell you where you would be working. Is there an office located in LA?" 

"Oh yea, I forgot to tell you, I need your help with something," Dan said seriously. 

"Anything," Phil said earnestly. 

"I need to find an apartment, I'm moving to London." Phil eyes widened, a huge smile on his face. He pulled Dan in for another long, languid kiss.

"It would be my pleasure," he said. Dan smiled and pulling Phil in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was stuck home sick while my wife was at work so she was not available to edit, so i posted it anyway because i am not known for my patience. so please forgive me for any truly terrible typos, as im sure there are plenty.
> 
> I have some ideas for other stories, so if you've liked my writing (lol) you can keep an eye out for them. 
> 
>  
> 
> @tobieallison on tumblr


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